Picture frame



Nov, 15; 1938. c. D CLARK 2,137,355

PICTURE FRAME Fil ed May 19, 1937 Uhuae Z). 622% ATTORNEYS WITNESS Patented Nov. 15, .1938

TED? T TE A E mm:

Application May 19,

c Claims.

This invention relates to picture frames, and

its general object isto provide aframe that is preferably made from a single piece of wood, such as the trunk or limb'of a tree with or without the bark thereon and which is cut across the grain thereof and shaped and finished, so that the grain will be clearly visible'to present a decorative and ornamental appearance, but a frame so made is not very durable, in that it tends to crack or break and the main object of the present invention is to provide a back therefor, which not only materially reinforces the frame, but acts as a picture mounting.

A further object is'to provide aframe of the character set forth, that includes a reinforcing back and'picture mounting means, which makes it possible to detachably mount a. picture within the frame in an easy and expeditious manner, and by which the picture together with its glass and fillers are held against casual displacement or removal. I V

Another object is to provide a'frame including a reinforcingback and picture mounting means that includes hanger means for suspending the frame from suitable supporting means.

A still further object is to provide a frame ineluding a back and picture mounting means, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely. eflicient in use and service. I

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and inthecombination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing-and specifically pointed out in the appended claims; 7 y

In describing the invention in detail, reference willbehad to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan 'view of the picture frame constructed in accordance with the pres-- ent invention with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking-in the direction of the arrows. I Figure 4 is a rear view of a modified form.. Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modified form of hanger tongue.

Referring to thedrawing in detail, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, it will be noted that I have illustrated my picture frame 193%, Serial No. 143,588.

as being cut and made from a trunk or limb of a tree, with the bark I retainedthereon, consequently the frame is circularv in outlineand includes a ring like body 2 having the outer peripheral edge of the opening thereof rounded as at 3, while the inner peripheral edge is recessed to providea seat 4. It will be obvious that: the wood is'cut across the grain, bored to provide the opening, and thence finished with some clear preservative such as varnish or the like; sothat the grain will be clearly visible, to! present a decorative or. ornamental appearance.

The reinforcing back and picture mounting means of my frame, as shown in Figures -1'to'3, includes a flat ring like outer frame memberB" that is preferably made from heavy card or binder board or the like and is fixed to the rear surface of the body 2 by adhesive or other suitable securing means. The width of the flat ring like member 5 is less'than thatof the body 2 so that the outer and inner edges thereof are spaced inwardly from the corresponding edges of the body, as best shown in Figure 1, and mounted in and closing the opening of the ring like member 5, is a disk cover 6 of a diameter to frictionally fit within the opening,.t0 set up a' binding engagement with the wall thereof. The cover 6 is likewise made from binderboard .or the like, and in order to facilitate removal thereof from the ring like member 5, it wil be noted that a notch! is arranged in its periphery. Indicating marks such as that indicated by the referencenumeral 8 may be disposed on the ring like member 5 and the disk cover, so as to facilitate the application of the cover, as will be apparent.

Formed on andrising from the ring like member 5 is a tongue 9 that has an opening is therein for the purpose of receiving asuitabie supporting means such as a nail ll for suspending the frame therefrom, and the body is' provided with a recess i2 registering with the opening Hi. to accommodate the head of the nail as shown in Figure 2.. The tongue may be elongated toextend a considerable distance above the body 2, such as for instance, as shown in Figure 5 and the tongue 9 of that figure is provided with a slot [3 extending longitudinally therein, or .the tongue 9 may have a round opening only therei in, with guide lines extending therefromto facilitate the cutting of the slot. [3, if the latter is desired. It will of coursebe understood, if the slot is not desired, the tongue can be cut to be flush with the outer periphery of the-body, as suggested-in Figure 2. r

shape, it depending upon the The disk cover 6 also acts to hold the picture which is indicated by the reference numeral 14, the glass l5 and filler disk I6 within the recess of the frame, but I provide additional means for cooperation therewith, and for that purpose the body is grooved transversely upon diametrically opposite sides as at H, with the grooves extending through both the outer and inner peripheral edges of the body, as well as the rim provided by the bark I, if the latter is retained.

Slidably mounted in the grooves I! are fastener elements I8 which are shown as being in the form of paper clips, but any suitable means may be employed, such as a narrow strip of metal of a length to extend beyond the inner periphfastener elements set up a binding engagement against the filler disk when in operative position as shown in Figure 1, but are readily re movable from the grooves, when desired, by using suitable pointed means to contact the outer loops of the clips as shown, and an' opening or the like in the outer end of the metallic strips referred to.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a modified form of reinforcing back and picture mounting means, for octagonal shaped frames, and in this form the outer frame member is indicated by the reference numeral l9 and preferably has the cover 20 secured thereto as at 2| for hinged movement. In any event, the cover frictionally fits the inner edges of the outer member If), and I likewise provide tabs 22 extending inwardly from the upper portion of the outer member H! to be received in recesses in the cover. A tongue 23 is also provided for this form.

It will be obvious that the reinforcing back and picture mounting means may be of any shape of the body of the frame. 1

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent,

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A picture frame comprising a ring like frame body out from a single piece of wood across the grain thereof, and having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening, glass and filler means for a picture and mounted in the recess, a flat ring like outer frame member secured to and about the rear face of the body for reinforcing the latter, a disk cover of a diameter to frictionally fit within said frame member and detachable therefrom, and means cooperating with the disk cover for securing the glass, picture and filler means in place.

2. A picture frame comprising a frame body out from a single piece of Wood across the grain thereof and having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening, glass and filler means for a picture and mounted inthe recess, a flat frame member secured to the rear face of the body about the opening thereof for reinforcing the body and having an opening of greater size than that of the opening of the body, closure means removably and frictionally fitting within the opening of the frame member for closing the same, and a hanger tongue formed on and rising from said frame member and having an opening therein.

3. A picture frame comprising a frame body having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening, glass and filler means for a picture and mounted in the recess, a fiat reinforcing frame member for the body and secured to the rear face thereof about its opening, said frame member having .an opening of greater size than that of the body, closure means removably and frictionally fitting within the opening of said frame member for closing the same, and detachable means engaging the filler means upon opposite sides thereof for cooperation with the closure means for securing the glass, picture and filler means in place.

4. A picture frame comprising a frame body having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening, glass and filler means for a picture and mounted in the recess, a 'fiat ring like reinforcing frame member for the body and secured to the rear face thereof about its opening, said frame member having a circular opening of greater size than thatof the body, disk closure means removably and frictionally fitting within the opening of said frame member, said body having diametrically, opposed grooves in the opposite sides of the rear face thereof andextending from the outer edge of the body to its opening, and means slidably mounted in the grooves and engageable with the filler means for cooperation with the closure means for securing the glass, picture and filler means in place.

5. A picture frame comprising a frame body having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening and a slot adjacent to the outer edge thereof, glass and filler means for a picture and mounted in the recess, a fiat ring like frame member secured to a rear face of the bodyabout the opening of the latter and providing reinforcing means for .the body, said flat frame member having a circular opening of a size greater than the opening of the body, disk shaped closure means removably and frictionally fitting within the opening of said frame member and having means therein to facilitate the removal thereof, means cooperating with the closure means for securing the glass, picture, and filler means in place and detachably mounted between the body and frame member, and a hanger tongue formed on and rising from said flat frame memher and having an opening therein registering with the slot.

6. A picture frame comprising a frame body having a recess in its rear face about the inner edge of its opening, glass. and filler means for a picture and mounted in the recess, a fiat reinforcing frame member for the body and secured to the rear face thereof about its opening, said flat reinforcing frame member having an opening of a size greater than the opening of the body, closure means removably and frictionally fitting within the opening of the fit reinforcing frame member, said closure means being cut from the fiat reinforcing frame member and connect-,

ed thereto for hinged movement, said closure having recesses therein opposed to the hinged portion thereof and tabs formed on the fiat reinforcing frame member and shaped to fit in and receiving the recesses of the closure.

CLAUDE D. CLARK. 

